Trying To Make Sense Of The 2007 Browns
How did a team, that had a Derek Anderson at the helm, go 10–6 and be the last Browns team in nine years to have a winning record?
The Cleveland Cavaliers are champions. The Cleveland Indians are headed to the playoffs. But the Cleveland Browns are still a wonderful dumpster fire that are tanking for the top pick in the draft.
Since 2000, the Browns have made the playoffs one time, in 2002, going 9–7. In 16 seasons, the Browns have only had two winning season. That in 2002 and 2007.
So what exactly happened in 2007? How did a team, with such players as Derek Anderson, Braylon Edwards, Willie McGinest, and Brodney Pool?
Let’s break this thing down week-by-week, see where it went right and wrong.
Week 1: A Horrible Start
The Browns have been the Steelers punching bag for years and this was not a different occasions for the dawg pound.
The Steelers scored 17 points in the first quarter, and were up 31–0 in the third quarter before the Browns scored. The game ended 34–7, with Charlie Frye being removed as a starter, and promoting Anderson to the position.
Head Coach Romeo Crennel, a so-called defensive mastermind from the New England Patriots, lost a crucial game, one that will comeback to haunt them.
(Keep something in mind here, folks. This season is important, not just in Browns history, but league history.)
Week 2: Derek Anderson has Arrived
In just his fourth career start, Anderson played one of his best games of his career, in a divisional showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The defense, still struggled though allowing Carson Palmer to throw for six touchdowns, with the Browns picking up their first win of the season, 51–45.
Anderson threw the ball better than any Browns quarterback in a decade, throwing for five touchdowns and one interception. Along with Anderson’s performance, Jamal Lewis, a first year transplant from Baltimore, Lewis ran for 215 yards and two touchdowns.
Another interesting factor emerged: Josh Cribbs. Cribbs returned two kicks 88 yards and 98 yards (taken back because of penalties) but scored on each return. Cribbs gave the Browns reliable field position, making it much easier for the offense, coached by Rod Chudzinski, a real shot.
Anderson looked like the answer. The defense struggled, but maybe the Browns could just score.
Week 3: The Offense isn’t Enough
I can quickly summarize this game. The defense for the Browns is so bad, washed up, injury prone Daunte Culpepper came in to win the game 26–24.
Pitiful.
The Browns find themselves down early, for the third straight week, down 23–10 at half.
The first touchdown of the game for the Browns was scored by Cribbs, returning it 99 yards for a touchdown.
Anderson is consistent, but turns the ball over twice, a luxury the Browns can’t really afford.
The Browns need help, they need to establish a lead, rather than claw their way back. Week 4 is when it begins.
Week 4: Back to .500
The Browns did have something of a lucky charm in the division: the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens finished the season 5–11 and were last in the AFC North. Makes sense seeing that Steve McNair is the Ravens quarterback.
Jamal Lewis also had something to prove in this game, seeing as the Ravens didn’t resign him.
Lewis ran for 64 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, with Anderson throwing a 78-yard touchdown to Braylon Edwards and one to Joe Jurevicius.
(Side note: Joe Jurevicius is on this team and thriving. I give Anderson a special nod for this. Joe Fuckin’ Jurevicius. My man)
Week 5: The Browns Run Into the Buzzsaw
To be fair, no one, except the New York Giants, played the New England Patriots well in 2007. They went 16–0, 18–1 counting the Super Bowl loss. Tom Brady blew up the record book with Randy Moss’ last chance at Super Bowl glory out the window.
The Browns are 2–2 and are in Foxborough and revert to their old ways. The Browns find themselves down 20–0 at half, and wouldn’t score their first three points until the third quarter.
The Patriots tack on two more touchdowns and win 34–17.
The offense struggled, with Anderson throwing three interceptions and the Patriots scoring on a fumble return to seal the game.
The defense, however, showed life, giving Moss his worst game of the year with three receptions for 46 yards.
The Browns are 2–3 and have lost to two playoff teams. The season is about to turnaround though.
Week 6, 8, 9: The Winning Streak
I’ve decided to lump together these three weeks (note: the Browns had a Week 7 bye), because this is the Browns three-game winning streak.
First up was a 41–31 win over the Dolphins, a 27–20 win over the Rams and a 33–30 win over the Seahawks. All close, hard fought victories.
The offense looks to be unstoppable. Anderson and Edwards becomes one of the deadliest duos in the league. Over the three-game span, Edwards catches 18 balls for 251 yards and five touchdowns. An incredible stretch.
The running game is impressive too, with Jamal Lewis rushing for four touchdowns against Seattle.
The Browns are 5–3, looking to make a run at the Steelers.
Week 10: The Deciding Game of the Season
It’s only Week 10, with six games left for the Browns to play, this game is incredibly important.
The Steelers would win this game, 31–28, a much improved attempt by the Browns since Week 1.
Unlike in Week 1, the Browns jump out to a 7–0 lead and even hold a 21–9 lead at half.
The Steelers take the lead 24–21 on a touchdown pass to Hines Ward then later on a 30-yard scramble by Big Ben.
Following the scramble, Josh Cribbs continues to impress, taking a kickoff 100-yards, reclaiming the lead.
The Steelers score with three minutes left in the game, with the Browns taking a late drive down the field, giving Phil Dawson an attempt for a 53-yard field goal.
Dawson misses. The Browns are 5–4, on the outside looking in.
After three weeks of destroying defenses, Edwards has one catch, a 16-yard touchdown, giving him 10 on the season, the most in franchise history.
Even Anderson has one of his best games of the year, throwing three touchdowns and no turnovers.
This game was a must win for the Browns. It may not have seemed like it at the time, but it’ll keep the Browns out of the playoffs.
The Rest of the Season gets away from the Browns
The Browns are 5–4 after Week 10. Over the next seven weeks the wins the Browns pickup are against teams that would eventually have a losing record and lose to the 8–8 Arizona Cardinals and the Bengals get revenge.
Going into Week 17, the Browns need to beat the San Francisco 49ers and have the Tennessee Titans lose or tie.
The Browns end up winning 20–7, even losing Derek Anderson for the rest of the game and having second round pick Brady Quinn fill in.
The Titans, however, have other plans in mind. The Titans beat the 13–2 Indianapolis Colts, giving them a better common record than the Browns.
The Browns are the only team with 9+ wins to miss the playoffs. The playoff drought continues.
What can Brown(s) do for you?
The season ends with six Browns players being elected to the 2008 Pro Bowl, an impressive feat being the last Browns player to make the Pro Bowl was 2002.
Braylon Edwards finishes the season 16 touchdowns, and is never the same. Jamal Lewis retires two years later after multiple injuries. Romeo Crennel is fired after the next season.
Probably the most depressing career change of all has to be for Derek Anderson. Injuries force Anderson and the Browns to part ways. A brief stunt in Arizona where he throws 10 interceptions and fumbles six times.
In 2007, Anderson is the 9th best rated quarterback in the league, throwing for 3,787 yards and 29 touchdowns. Anderson finishes sixth in the league in touchdowns thrown.
Now, you can see Anderson celebrating with Cam Newton on the sidelines of Carolina Panthers games.
So while Anderson could’ve been a guy who is a perennial Pro Bowler, he’s now a career backup. But, I’m sure if you asked him, that’s ok.
Not a lot remains of that team. There’s been new management (multiple times), a new owner, many other quarterbacks. The only player left in Joe Thomas, that season’s first round pick.
After that season, the Browns have gone 37–91, not including this current season that could very well add 15 or 16 more losses to that total.
The Browns are garbage, but it’s fun to recall this season.
A bunch of old men playing their hearts out, Derek Anderson ballin’ out like there’s no tomorrow, and Romeo Crennel looking like a competent head coach.
2007 was fun for Cleveland fans. Let’s just hope they can have fun again soon.
